Hampton Girl Not Charged In Slaying, Yet

HAMPTON — No charges have been filed against a 14-year-old Hampton girl who killed her stepfather Wednesday night by plunging a steak knife into his chest.

The case will be reviewed by the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office to determine if the girl should be charged. Police said there is no timetable for making a decision.

The girl, whose identity is being withheld, stabbed 37-year-old Thadduas Hayes once in the left side of his chest after becoming embroiled in an argument between Hayes and her mother.

In a similar case earlier this year, an 18-year- old Hampton girl who stabbed her mother's boyfriend was not charged with a crime. The girl was protecting her mother from the "imminent threat" of bodily harm, the prosecutor's office said.

The police are not releasing any details about the argument between Hayes and his wife, but Hayes had a history of abusing her. He was arrested for assaulting her in May 1998, according to court documents. Neighbors also said police were called to the home on several other occasions.

Hayes had lived in the Brockridge Hunt Drive neighborhood for about 10 years, neighbors said. He married Sharon Jean Suggs in March 1998, according to their marriage license.

Hayes was charged with assaulting Suggs two months later, but the charges were dismissed. A 72- hour protective order was given to Suggs after the alleged assault, but she never sought a permanent order, according to court documents.

A man who answered the door at the family's home Thursday said Suggs and her daughter were both sleeping and did not want to comment. They have not hired an attorney, he said.

Neighbors expressed sympathy Thursday for Suggs and her daughter.

"I wouldn't want this to happen to anybody," one neighbor said. "It's terrible for a 14-year-old to have to live with that for the rest of her life."

Troy Graham can be reached at 247-4741 or by e- mail at tgraham@dailypress.com